Is packaging waste reduction still a sustainable objective?

Winston Churchill said, "We learn from history that we learn nothing from history".

It seems it is the same with packaging! Only a couple months ago we all agreed that we had too much unnecessary packaging, one “coronavirus crisis” later … it seems that we forgot it all.

Do not get me wrong, I do not talk about necessary and useful packaging used to protect food or consumer from any contamination. I am refereeing to the misuse of individual packaging for some specific products. And when it does not bring any added value…

Plastic free was not the solution as well as over packaging would not excuse consumer to wash fruit & vegetable.

It seems there is a challenge to make the right choice between too much packaging and useful protection. We must continue to pursue packaging reduction strategies and initiatives as part of our previous commitments.

This is the perfect time to be reasonable and use the relevant packaging for product demonstrating how useful and valuable it can be, at the same time, it is important to ban and condemn useless packaging.

• #Omnichannel ready packaging: use same packaging for retail & e commerce or drive

• #Reusable (transport) packaging for the communities’ market / local producers

• #Optimise transport packaging to transport less air and more products

If we do not highlight current potential over packaging drifting, we will go back to square one - Packaging industry, retailers and CPG will be in fragile situation again.